KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t lay out requirements for their next head coach after firing Todd Haley this week. They might not begin interviews until after the season in deference to Romeo Crennel, their defensive coordinator and now the interim head coach for the season’s final three games.

Once the Chiefs get moving, they won’t have to start over as they did in 2009 when they hired Haley. That was a complete overhaul as the team transitioned from the administration of general manager Carl Peterson and coach Herm Edwards. The Chiefs hacked away at the roster, the coaching staff and the previous way of doing things until what remained was almost unrecognizable.

This time, Chiefs officials believe they have the foundation in place to allow for a quick turnaround. They believe they can be AFC West contenders again next season with the right hire.

Scott Pioli is a strong general manager, and he’s not likely to hand over any of his power to the new coach. That means Super Bowl winners like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden probably won’t be serious candidates.

The new coach also might need to have past ties with Pioli. The inability of Haley to get along with Pioli eventually led to his demise.

Here are some coaches who are or could become candidates:

Romeo Crennel

The Chiefs have indicated they will interview Crennel once the season is over. Crennel is 64, which could play against him. The Chiefs have expressed a preference for long-term continuity, something they have a better chance to attain with a younger candidate. Crennel is also not the most inspiring of candidates after going 24-40 as Cleveland Browns head coach from 2005 to 2008. But he offers something none other candidate could provide: stability.

The Chiefs wouldn’t have to change much in terms of offensive and defensive systems, so Crennel might make the most sense if the Chiefs expect to jump immediately back into the playoff race. He also knows Pioli well from their days together with the New England Patriots. They have many of the same philosophies about football. Don’t underestimate that as a factor.

Josh McDaniels

McDaniels, the former Denver Broncos head coach and current St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator, also worked with Pioli in New England, so the familiarity factor is there. In fact, the Chiefs might have hired McDaniels instead of Haley in 2009 had the Broncos not hired him first.

But hiring the 35-year-old McDaniels is a risky move, and the Chiefs could use a more proven commodity to follow the untested Haley. His short stretch (11-17 in less than two seasons) as head coach in Denver was a disaster, and he would be a tough sell to Chiefs fans. The Chiefs won’t make a decision based on the wishes of fans, but he would clearly be such an unpopular choice that the Chiefs could expect a full-scale revolt if McDaniels is hired. He would make more sense coming to the Chiefs as an offensive coordinator with Crennel as the head coach.

Kirk Ferentz

The Iowa coach is a close friend of Pioli’s and was under consideration for the Chiefs’ job before Haley was hired a few years ago. Family reasons prevented it from happening then and could again this time. His son, James, will be a senior offensive lineman at Iowa next season, and it’s tough to picture Ferentz walking away from that. But Ferentz has an NFL background as a former offensive line coach with the Browns and Baltimore Ravens. He wouldn’t be walking into a foreign world. He and Pioli worked together four seasons when Ferentz coached in the NFL.

Jeff Fisher

He’s easily the most proven commodity among the candidates. Any team would love the chance to hire a coach with Fisher’s accomplishments (147-126, 16-plus seasons with OIlers/Titans). The Kansas City job could be attractive to him. The Chiefs have an abundance of young players heading into the primes of their careers. But is he a fit in Kansas City? He has no ties with Pioli and that could well be a deal breaker.